Japanese holly plant named ‘Annys5’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Ilex crenata  plant named ‘Annys5’ that is characterized by its male flowers and therefore lacks berry formation, its compact and semi-upright plant habit, and its glossy leaves that are oblanceolate in shape and flat in aspect.

Botanical classification: Ilex crenata.

Variety denomination: ‘Annys5’.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to a European plant breeders' rightsapplication filed on Mar. 27, 2013, Application No. 2013/0941. Therehave been no offers for sale anywhere in the world prior to the filingof this Application and no accessibility to one of ordinary skill in theart could have been derived from the printed plant breeder's rightsdocuments.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Ilexcrenata and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name,‘Annys5’. ‘Annys5’ is a new cultivar of Japanese holly grown for use asa landscape plant.

The new Ilex resulted from a breeding program conducted by the Inventorin Zundert, The Netherlands. The Inventor made crosses between unnamedand unpatented proprietary plants of Ilex crenata in the Inventor'sbreeding program as both the female parent and male parent. The exactcharacteristics of the parents are unknown as seeds where pooled andsown from numerous crosses over different years. ‘Annys5’ was selectedas a single unique plant in 2003 from the resulting seedlings of theabove crosses.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by theInventor using semi-hardwood stem cuttings in 2003 in Zundert, TheNetherlands. Asexual propagation by semi-hardwood stem cuttings hasdetermined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable andare reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been observed repeatedly and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Annys5’ as a unique cultivar of Ilex.

-   1. ‘Annys5’ exhibits male flowers and therefore berries are not    formed.-   2. ‘Annys5’ exhibits a compact and semi-upright plant habit.-   3. ‘Annys5’ exhibits glossy leaves that are oblanceolate in shape    and flat in aspect.

‘Annys5’ can be most closely compared to the Ilex crenata cultivar‘Beehive’ (not patented) and ‘Carolina Upright’ (not patented).‘Beehive’ is similar to ‘Annys5’ in having male flowers and glossyfoliage. ‘Beehive’ differs from ‘Annys5’ in having a more spreadingplant habit and leaves that are smaller and elliptic in shape. ‘CarolinaUpright’ differs from from ‘Annys5’ leaves that broader, less glossy andconvex in aspect, and in having female flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of a two-year-old plant of the new cultivaras grown outdoors in a 17-cm circular container in Zundert, TheNetherlands.

photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates the plant habit of ‘Annys5’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the flowers of‘Annys5’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the foliage of‘Annys5’.

The colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describethe colors of the new Ilex.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of two-year-old plants of thenew cultivar as grown outdoors in a 17-cm circular container in Zundert,The Netherlands. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary withvariations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as ithas not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. Thecolor determination is in accordance with The 2015 R.H.S. Colour Chartof The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except wheregeneral color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Plant type.—Evergreen, perennial shrub.        -   Plant habit.—Compact and semi upright.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches 24 cm in height and 28 cm in            diameter.        -   Cold hardiness.—At least to U.S.D.A Zones 6 to 10.        -   Diseases.—No susceptibility or resistance to diseases have            been observed.        -   Root description.—Densly fibrous.        -   Propagation.—Semi-hardwood stem cuttings.        -   Root development.—An average of 10 weeks to fully root a            liner and about one year to fully develop in a one-gallon            container from a liner.        -   Growth rate.—Slow to moderate.-   Stem description:    -   -   Branching.—Freely branching; 6 main branches, 35 lateral            branches.        -   Stem shape.—Round.        -   Stem strength.—Strong.        -   Stem size.—Main stems; 1 cm in diameter, 3 cm in length,            lateral branches; 2 mm in diameter, 13.4 cm in length.        -   Stem surface.—Young; slightly glossy, mature; slightly            glossy, older stems; covered with smooth bark.        -   Stem color.—Young; 143B, mature; 137B, older stems; color            between 197C and 199D.        -   Stem aspect.—Average angle of 50°.        -   Internode length.—An average of 4 mm.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Oblanceolate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Acute.        -   Leaf apex.—Bluntly acute.        -   Leaf fragrance.—None.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, upper vein color; 147B, lower vein            color 144A.        -   Leaf margins.—Basal portion entire, crenate towards apex            (upper ¼^(th)).        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf aspect.—Primarily flat (very slightly convexed).        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf surface.—Both surfaces smooth and glabrous.        -   Leaf size.—An average of 1.9 cm in length, 9.5 mm in width.        -   Leaf quantity.—34 per lateral branch.        -   Leaf internode length.—Average of 2 mm.        -   Leaf color.—Young leaves upper surface; 141A, young leaves            lower surface; 143B, mature leaves upper surface; color            between 147A and N189A, mature leaves lower surface; 138A.        -   Petioles.—Average of 3 mm in length and 0.6 mm in diameter,            surfaces are smooth and glossy, strong, upper and lower            surfaces are 144B in color.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Blooming period.—About ten days in early to mid May in The            Netherlands.        -   Inflorescence type.—Axillary cyme.        -   Inflorescence size.—Average of 1.1 cm in height and            diameter.        -   Flower number.—Average of 7 flowers per inflorescence and            2,000 flowers per plant.        -   Flower fragrance.—None.        -   Flower longevity.—Average of 10 days, self-cleaning.        -   Flower type.—Single.        -   Flower aspect.—Rotate and slightly cup-shaped.        -   Flower size.—An average of 4 mm in diameter and 2 mm in            depth.        -   Peduncles.—An average of 5 mm in length and 0.4 mm in            diameter, 143C in color, smooth and glabrous, strength is            moderately strong.        -   Pedicels.—An average of 3 mm in length and 0.3 mm in            diameter, 143C in color, smooth and glabrous surface,            strength is moderately strong.        -   Flower buds.—Globular in shape, an average of 1.2 mm in            diameter and length, smooth, glabrous and slightly glossy            surface, 144C in color becoming 144D at the apex.        -   Sepals.—4, occasionally 5 per flower, rotate arrangement,            broadly deltoid in shape, entire margin, color on upper and            lowers surface 144C, an average of 0.75 mm in length and 1            mm in width, broad acute apex, broadly cuneate base, upper            and lower surface smooth and glabrous.        -   Petals.—4, occasionally 5 per flower, reniform in shape,            glabrous and slightly velvety on upper and lower surface,            entire margins, fused base, rounded apex, an average of 7.5            mm in length, 1 mm in width, color when opening and fully            open upper and lower surface; 155C.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Pistils.—Not formed, male flowers only.        -   Stamens.—4 per flower, filaments; average of 1 mm in length            and N155A in color, anthers; average of 0.4 mm in length and            0.2 mm in width, oblong in shape, 158C in color, pollen;            moderate in quantity, 155A in color.        -   Fruit.—Not formed, male flowers only.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Japanese holly plantnamed ‘Annys5’ as herein illustrated and described.